The first-of-its-kind initiative in the hill state, ‘Baal Satra’ has The Statesman as its media partner. Today the children met HP Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Pathania
As many as 68 children would take the role of elected representatives and raise real issues and concerns of the masses in the ‘Baal Satra’; a mock assembly session of children which would be held in the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Bavan on June 12.
The first-of-its-kind event in the state, in which The Statesman is the media partner would coincide with the ‘World Day Against Child Labour.’
Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania during an interaction mentioned that the children who would participate in the ‘Baal Satra’ have been selected from among 1,180 applicants from various government and private schools besides those who could not go to the schools. These children have been selected under three-month-long campaign, ‘Bacchon Ki Sarkar Kaisi Ho’ organised under the aegis of the Himachal Pradesh Education Department.
Under this campaign, 1,180 children including government, non-government, and non-school-going children registered and made videos and raised their concerns, and gave suggestions between April 1 to May 25.
Under this campaign, 1,180 children including government, non-government, and non-school-going children registered and made videos and raised their concerns, and gave suggestions between April 1 to May 25.
Entries of children came from Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Assam, and Bihar among other states. For the selection of children, a team of judges who are prominent citizens from varied fields evaluated the children on the basis of their suggestions, the importance of issues, and the method of their expressions. The selection process was divided into three stages, in the first stage 585 children who complied with the criteria were shortlisted, while in the second phase, 285 children were selected on the basis of their expressions.
The children raised several key issues while suggesting career counseling for the youth for raising employment, better ways for marketing crops for farmers in Himachal, and promotion of sports among the children. All these issues and more would be taken up and discussed threadbare during the upcoming ‘Baal Satra’ on June 12.
During the two-month-long campaign which is being sponsored by LIC, 20 dialogue sessions were also organised for children, in which political leaders, educationists, artists, journalists, and senior officials of Himachal shared their life lessons with more than 50,000 children and responded to their queries.
Earlier, while kicking off the campaign, the poster of this campaign was launched by Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu. He addressed the children while wishing them for their successful conduct of ‘Baal Satra’.
Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Baal Satra, on 12th June, will be the culmination ceremony of this campaign, in which the selected 68 children will have a mock session in the assembly enacting as the Chief Minister, Leader of Opposition, Deputy Chief Minister, Speaker, and Cabinet Ministers for a day at Vidhansabha Bhawan, Shimla.
Among the participants is also Arunoday Sharma, the child who brought laurels to the hill state after his participation in Kaun Banega Crorepati KBC.
Founder of ‘Digital Baal Mela’, the brainchild behind the initiative, Janhvi Sharma mentioned that Mishal, Swastik Negi, Arunoday Sharma, Deeksha Thakur, and Khushi Uniyal from Shimla interacted with the Speaker in Vidhan
Sabha Bhavan.
Founder of ‘Digital Baal Mela’, the brainchild behind the initiative, Janhvi Sharma mentioned that Mishal, Swastik Negi, Arunoday Sharma, Deeksha Thakur, and Khushi Uniyal from Shimla interacted with the Speaker in Vidhan
Sabha Bhavan.